I've been trying to cut back on sugars again lately. I haven't eaten (granulated) processed sugars in years, but I do still have agave sometimes, and very occasionally maple syrup. Lately I've been craving dates and eating far too many of them (not so good for my eating local thing), but have been trying really hard to cut down on things like agave, which means less baking and stuff :(I'm feeling really good about not sweetening my green smoothies with anything lately, though, and summer is coming up here, which means.... plenty of tropical fruit! I can't wait for mangoes.

I hope that everyone else who is sugar-free or low-sugar is feeling good and doing well at the moment!

_________________If I chew on garlic that's been in a vagina, isn't that exploiting SOMEONE? - coldandsleepyAfter all, you can't spell Richard Dawkins without "dickwad". - EmperorTomatoKetchup

I'm trying to do low sugar! I did great for about a month, then went to VeganMania and ate a whole big bunch of sugary desserts. I then had mega sugar cravings for about a week after. I've been doing pretty well for the past few days. I'm trying to avoid buying the seasonal mint, pumpkin, and nog drinks that are popping up in stores...

I'm not trying to be sugar free, but I would like to find some sugar free breakfast options! I am tired of cereals and non dairy milks filled with sugar to start my day.

Melisser,I always start my day with a huge smoothie (sugar free almond milk, frozen fruit, maybe toss in a banana, spinach, whatever you want). Right after, I eat wasa crackers with either hummus and olives or an avocado top. Sometimes ill put a bit of scramble or black eyed peas on it.

Progress report: I started sugar free in January and since then I've lost 50 lbs. I feel like sugarfree has kicked my metabolism into gear. Ever since I hit my goal (which was to lose 30 lbs) I cut my gym time (only going 1 or 2 times a week instead of 6) and focused more on building music and not cardio. I introduced more healthy fat into my meals and I still kept losing. I've stopped at my current weight so I think I can finally give an accurate final progress report.

_________________"One day you'll see, when tofu takes over the world because tofu can be anything it wants to be!" -bekki

I'm not trying to be sugar free, but I would like to find some sugar free breakfast options! I am tired of cereals and non dairy milks filled with sugar to start my day.

I post this self-consciously because after 4 months of sugar free diligence and bliss, lately I have been sabotaging my goals. It's stress related, and it's damn annoying, but I am determined to get back to sugar free because it feels so much better!

Now, then. The question at hand. I am not much into savory for breakfast, so my focus tends to be trading out sweetened cereals/baked goods for no sugar alternatives. I love oatmeal for breakfast. I add chopped dates and/or chopped apricots, cinnamon, gingner, and occasionally a shot of vanilla extract. I cook it with unsweetened soy milk, but you could use water or favorite unsweetened plant milk. I also sometimes sub in a chopped up banana. Which brings me to the banana and wheat square cereal breakfast. My new favorite is toast with unsweetened nut butter on it, and sometimes a banana and sprinkling of cinnamon. Smoothies are great, and if you are going the no sugar route, a date or two thrown in will make it sweet, as will a frozen, ripe banana. I also love mashed avocadoes on toast with a bit of lime juice, salt and pepper. Fresh fruit may seem obvious, but a bowl of fruit salad always puts me in a good mood in the morning. I tend to make up a large batch and then spoon it out from the refrigerator.

I had a bit of a binge week and I am paying for it now...I can't even do natural sugars right now, sets my body out of whack...It's really hard, I have a crazy sweet tooth.

Aren't/weren't you doing the candida diet? Or am I confused? That must be super-hard.

Yes, I am following the candida diet (as best I can) it's brutal being vegan on this diet, you really have to plan everything out which is super hard. I have been doing it since august and I finally cracked last week and had to have a sandwich on some nice super soft bread...all I have been able to have is Irene's nothing else bread and the only other Candida friendly bread I can find in town has egg whites in it, major bummer.

But back to sugar, no fruit is really lame, I think that my levels are low enough I can probably introduce some of the more acidic fruits back in...I hope anyway. I am just super scared to get back to where I was before I started the ACD, that was far worse than this diet.

How does everyone else cope with no sugar? Do you just avoid refined sugars or all of them?

Also, does anyone know if Amylase is considered a sugar? I wikied it and it just says it turns carbs/starches into sugar in you body...I've been drinking Rice Dream this whole time because I thought it had no sugars but now I am thinking I am wrong...

I had a bit of a binge week and I am paying for it now...I can't even do natural sugars right now, sets my body out of whack...It's really hard, I have a crazy sweet tooth.

Aren't/weren't you doing the candida diet? Or am I confused? That must be super-hard.

Yes, I am following the candida diet (as best I can) it's brutal being vegan on this diet, you really have to plan everything out which is super hard. I have been doing it since august and I finally cracked last week and had to have a sandwich on some nice super soft bread...all I have been able to have is Irene's nothing else bread and the only other Candida friendly bread I can find in town has egg whites in it, major bummer.

But back to sugar, no fruit is really lame, I think that my levels are low enough I can probably introduce some of the more acidic fruits back in...I hope anyway. I am just super scared to get back to where I was before I started the ACD, that was far worse than this diet.

How does everyone else cope with no sugar? Do you just avoid refined sugars or all of them?

Also, does anyone know if Amylase is considered a sugar? I wikied it and it just says it turns carbs/starches into sugar in you body...I've been drinking Rice Dream this whole time because I thought it had no sugars but now I am thinking I am wrong...

amylase is an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates. yes it turns them into sugar but that is because your body turns ALL of your food into sugar in your body because that's what it uses for fuel. it would not count as a sugar, it is an enzyme, which is technically a protein.

_________________I am not a troll. I am TELLING YOU THE ******GOD'S TRUTH****** AND YOU JUST DON'T WANT THE HEAR IT DO YOU?

Also, does anyone know if Amylase is considered a sugar? I wikied it and it just says it turns carbs/starches into sugar in you body...I've been drinking Rice Dream this whole time because I thought it had no sugars but now I am thinking I am wrong...

amylase is an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates. yes it turns them into sugar but that is because your body turns ALL of your food into sugar in your body because that's what it uses for fuel. it would not count as a sugar, it is an enzyme, which is technically a protein.[/quote]Thanks idji. Thats what I gathered from the Wiki and Dictionary posts but wanted to double check :) This makes everything sooo awesome. Now I can have all the rice milk in the world and they have a new chocolate flavour!!! That should be just enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. I really need to get back on the wagon. Once I get back to 50/50 good & bad bacteria I shouldn't have to follow the ACD and can eat fruit again!!! MAGICAL.

Doesn't this thread make more sense in the General Health forum? I know some of you want to lose weight but this feels more like a healthy lifestyle thing rather than Diet with a capital D.

Anyway, I've been doing sugar-free since watching Sugar: the Bitter Truth and in general I love it. But I've craving bourbon creams LIKE MAD for a week already! It's not even PMS time so I don't know what the hell this is about... I just wanna shove a whole packet in my mouth at once. :/

I've also been missing baking... Maybe low-sugar would be a better option than no-sugar...? How often do you guys indulge?

Progress report: I started sugar free in January and since then I've lost 50 lbs. I feel like sugarfree has kicked my metabolism into gear. Ever since I hit my goal (which was to lose 30 lbs) I cut my gym time (only going 1 or 2 times a week instead of 6) and focused more on building music and not cardio. I introduced more healthy fat into my meals and I still kept losing. I've stopped at my current weight so I think I can finally give an accurate final progress report.

that's so awesome, ctate! congrats on getting to a healthy weight and kicking booty with building more muscle. i am not sugar free and i do a lot of cardio (running, cycling, swimming) and some weights and yoga 2-3 times a week. i am thinking i need to try and cut out sugar and see if it helps me out. i ignore the fact that i feel like junk after i consume it and i know it's not the best for me either. i feel like the cardio doesn't get me anywhere anymore and maybe cutting out sugar and working with weights more might help. thanks for your report! :)

I'm not really doing *no* sugar, but I'm doing no *candy* and that's hard for me... But its like my only source of sugar so I guess its like no sugar. The only time I get sugar is from baking pretty much, I don't put it in my drinks, and ask for unsweetened soymilk drinks and get unsweetened stuff generally... I guess I'm doing a no sugar thing...

Hem.

But I failed hardcore and ate an entire bag of fuzzy peaches at school today... Now my throat and tummy feels icky.

_________________http://seraphsong.blogspot.com/Guilty of Being Sprite - They're probably just waiting for the camera egg to hatch, which would then create a much larger camera they'd quickly find.

Doesn't this thread make more sense in the General Health forum? I know some of you want to lose weight but this feels more like a healthy lifestyle thing rather than Diet with a capital D.

Do you guys want to move this thread into the general health forum or do you like it here in the diet section? Not everyone is doing it for weight loss, so I could see it being in either location. Just let me know.

_________________I am not a troll. I am TELLING YOU THE ******GOD'S TRUTH****** AND YOU JUST DON'T WANT THE HEAR IT DO YOU?

Glad this thread is back ! I have blown it for the past ~2 months, after 3 months doing great sugar-free, and now I feel like shiitake, so I need to get back on it. I've been sick for pretty much 3 weeks of work, with a cold that just won't go away and I know I am feeding it by eating crepe.

I've had a weird day, so I'm drowning my sorrows in Vanilla Bean Tempt ice cream. Eh. At least only has 9g of sugar per serving. It's funny- I used to eat a soy yogurt every day as a "health food", and one little container of yogurt has more sugar in it than a serving of the ice cream I just bought.

I am back on the sugar-free wagon. Although it is more like hanging on to the wagon with my fingernails. I'm in the sugar withdraw phase (I was eating a lot of sugar) so this weekend is going to be a quiet one. The longest I have made it since this thread started back on the old boards was one week and I was still getting headaches every day so I gave up. This time I am thinking "anything that makes you feel this terrible when you don't consume it is toxic!" We'll see if that helps.

I love this thread. I need super support. Sugar is my go-to thing for all emotion-related issues. Please help me understand how to best break this habit-- I know I feel better with less sugar, I know that once I "detox" from it, I will crave it less (correct?), but I'm full of misinformation, I'm sure. Fruit ok? More information, please!!

What will I put on my oatmeal? In my coffee? Sugar is my nemesis, it must go (but oh, how I love sweet things)! Maybe with support I can finally do this!

I love this thread. I need super support. Sugar is my go-to thing for all emotion-related issues. Please help me understand how to best break this habit-- I know I feel better with less sugar, I know that once I "detox" from it, I will crave it less (correct?), but I'm full of misinformation, I'm sure. Fruit ok? More information, please!!

watch that video I linked to earlier, it pretty much explains everything you need to know. but generally, yes, once you stop having sugar regularly you stop craving it (or craving it as much...), and fruit's okay as long as you eat it whole because of the fiber content.

As for oatmeal, I usually add bananas and pears to mine, as well as spices (cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of nutmeg, lately). Coffee I have with a splash of soya milk (or rice/ oat/ almond), but I suppose you have to learn to like it black, at least a little bit?